


Luka the Macchiato Boy

by SweetBbyFox



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Who, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, First Meetings, I love Lukanette I'm Sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-13 00:35:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21485440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SweetBbyFox/pseuds/SweetBbyFox
Summary: Marinette starts her day right with some caffeine and a cute boy
Relationships: Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 16
Kudos: 212





	Luka the Macchiato Boy

**Author's Note:**

> 90% of what I read is Coffee Shop AU's so i don't know why it's taking me a thousand years to actually write one. Anyways, enjoy some Lukanette!

It was an absolutely _ perfect _ day. She woke up before her alarm (a phenomenon all on it’s own), her hair was cooperating, the sun was shining but the crisp, cool autumn air meant she could dress _ cozy _ . All in all, Marinette could feel that today was going to be _ her _day. 

After all, today was officially her first day of her dream job. After interning and working alongside Gabriel Agreste for 5 years, she was finally ready to go out into the fashion design world; all on her own. Today, she would be stepping into _ her _ design firm, proudly brandishing the name of ‘Head Designer’ for _ Miraculous. _She worked hard to get to this point, and she was immensely proud of herself. 

Her leather heeled boots tapped the floor as she confidently strut down the street, the sound of crunching leaves brought a smile to her glossy lips. The red scarf she’d hand knit hung loosely around her neck and shoulders, complementing nicely with her white sweater dress and long, rose gold ladybug necklace. She’d tied her hair up into a loose bun, little strands of her naturally blue-black hair framing her small face. 

Miraculous offices were close by, just half a block up the street, but the delicious smell of fresh roasted coffee beans stopped her in her tracks. She checked her phone, she still had 20 minutes before she needed to be there. With an eager grin and a soft grumble of her approving stomach, she turned and entered the quaint little coffee shop. 

She immediately noticed the barista; a lean man with messy, dark, blue ombré hair and ripped jeans who was sitting _ on _ the counter. His eyes were closed, dark lashes resting over his cheeks as he strummed away at a guitar resting in his lap. It was like he was in his own little world, his head bobbing in time to the melody he strummed, long thin fingers with black nail polish moving quickly across the strings as his throat softly hummed a tune Marinette had never heard before. 

Marinette didn’t mean to stare, but the sight was so captivating that she didn’t even realize she’d froze in the doorway. Not until the man opened one eye, still plucking away at his guitar, and smiled at her. 

“Can I help you with anything, love?” 

“Oh!” She cried out, leaping away from the door to quickly shuffle closer to the counter where he sat, “I’m sorry! How rude of me, it’s just, you’re very talented.”

He hopped down from the counter and swung the guitar under his arm so that it hung on his back, “No, no, I’m sorry. I should have greeted you when you came in, but I was getting a little into it and you didn’t seem to be in a rush.”

“I’m not,” she prayed her foundation concealed the warmth of her cheeks, “I’ve never heard that song before. Is it an original?”

His customer service smile softened to a more humble expression, and he nodded, making his way behind the counter, “Yeah. Just a little something I like to do on my own time. We can’t all be Jagged Stones, yah know?”

The _ very _familiar name made her brighten, “Do you listen to Jagged? He’s been my favorite every since I was a young girl!”

From there, their conversation was easy and comfortable. It was nice to talk to someone about something other than design, and the barista knew a lot about all of her favorite bands. He could even play some off the top of his head! She’d almost forgotten what she even came into the small cafe for, until the barista asked if he could get her anything. 

“Surprise me!” She laughed, “I like anything sweet!”

“Sweet it is,” he winked, and turned to make her beverage. 

Her phone vibrated in her hand, the sound making her squeak in surprise. The barista glanced over his shoulder at the sound, a light laugh escaping his lips. Marinette flushed with embarrassment, then looked down to check her phone.

“Oh crap!” She stressed out loud, noticing the numbers at the top of her screen, “I’m going to be late!” 

The barista looked much calmer than she felt, his gentle smile somewhat grounding as he slid a white paper cup across the counter towards her, “This one’s on me, then, to save you some time.”

Her chest filled with gratitude, the heated cup pleasant in her cold hands, “You’re so kind. I promise I’ll come back another day and tip you really good too,” She glanced at the silver name tag pinned to his plaid shirt, “Luka. Thank you, Luka!”

“Hope to see you again soon, Beautiful,” his mellow voice almost sighed, making Marinette’s heart race.

“It’s uh, Ma-Ma-Marinette!” She blinked, knowing there was no way she could hide her blush now as her words tumbled from her lips, “Thankyousomuchbyenow!!!”

She fled, unable to stop her schoolgirl giggles as she ran to the office. The air was much colder outside, and she subtly wished to be back in the warmth that was Luka’s cafe. _ I’ll come back soon _, she promised herself.   
  


She came back the next day.

“Okay so whatever you made me yesterday, I’d like that in your largest size!”

He raised his eyebrows, but something in his face was knowing as he gave her a quick nod and then got to work, “So an iced caramel cloud macchiato, venti, and would you like extra whipped cream on that too, sweetheart?”

The pet name brought red to her cheeks once again, but she tried to play it cool, “Yes! P-please! Thank you!!”

Okay so not so cool, but the drink was damn good and she had every damn right to be excited! With his back to her, she snuck out a $5 bill from her wallet and slipped it into the glass tip jar. She didn’t have time to chat like the day before, and Luka seemed comfortable with the silence, so Marinette spent the next few minutes observing him work. 

His black button up was nice and form fitting, showing off his lean figure and small waist. He had the sleeves rolled up, displaying his nice forearms and dark tattoos. If it weren’t for his calming demeanor, his movements not necessarily slow but almost elegant; she would have misjudged him for being a more “edgy” kind of person. 

When he handed her the large steaming cup, she couldn’t help whispering, “Soft,” as she looked into his large teal eyes.

“Hm?” He hummed in question but she only shook her head, a private smile to her lips, “Thank you so much Luka! I have to run but I’ll be back soon!”

“Can’t wait, Marinette.”

Her fast paced walk was easier than the day before with the ballet flats she decided to wear, so she allowed herself to take long sips as she made her way to the office. The whipped cream was a lovely touch and she enjoyed the way the sweet liquid of the macchiato filled her stomach with warmth. A leaf dropped from a nearby tree, gently bumping her hand before continuing its descent to the ground. It caused her to glance down at her hand, where she noticed the neat writing on the side of her cup. 

**Ma-Ma-Ma-Marinette**

When she entered the office building, her secretary, Mylene, couldn’t help asking, “What’s got you smiling so big this morning?”

“Just some good coffee!” Marinette winked, before heading for the stairs.

And thus began a routine. Marinette worked Monday through Friday and she made sure to stop by Luka’s cafe every morning on her way. Some days she was early enough to sit and talk, or listen to him play his guitar. Other days, she was sprinting down the block; always _ so _ grateful when he had the drink ready for her to pay and go. 

One particular Friday morning, she was extra late due to her alarm not going off. She didn’t have time to shower, so her hair was pulled up into a slightly greasy ponytail while her makeup had to be skipped. As she ran down the sidewalk, seeing Luka’s cafe coming into view, she considered skipping it. After all, she looked like a mess and she _ really _needed to get to the office. 

She made it three steps past the cafe before spinning on her heels and marching her way into the shop. 

“You made it,” Luka grinned, handing her the cup with one hand while accepting the cash with the other, “I was afraid my day would be a little darker without your light in it.”

Marinette let out a soft laugh, “I’m already late, so I thought I might as well have some part of my morning go right. Just don’t look too closely,” she hid her face behind a hand, “I didn’t really have time to get ready. So excuse the ugly.”

She was surprised to feel the warm sensation of skin touching her hand as Luka leaned over the counter, and reached out to softly push her hand away from her face, “Marinette, you’re beautiful.”

His face was so serious, his brows furrowed in concern and as his mouth was opened in a small frown. She could only blink, looking into his handsome face in hypnotized shock at his honest words. Suddenly his eyes widened, as if in realization, and he practically jumped back away from the counter. 

“I’m sorry,” he turned away, both of their faces red, “But really, you’re not at all ugly. Opposite, in fact.”

When she got to her office, her heart was still pounding loud in her chest. It only got louder when she noticed the small black heart drawn next to her name on the drink from Luka. 

“Oh my,” she breathed, clutching the cup with both hands.

The rest of her day was absolutely awful. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. The fabric supplier sent her the wrong shipment, one of her employees called in sick at the last minute while another cut his finger with the fabric scissors. He then had to have Marinette’s one other designer left drive him to the ER, while marinette had to clean up the mess and throw away the very stained brand new silk. While that happened, she missed a phone call from Alya asking if she wanted to get together for lunch; and by the time she called back it was too late.

Her and Alya, both busy with their jobs, hadn’t hung out in months and she missed her best friend so badly. Then right before she was supposed to be finished for the day, she got a call from an unsatisfied customer, and had to listen to him scream at her about how inadequate of a designer she was; demanding a full refund _ and _extra compensation for his wasted time. 

She hung up the phone at that, and then slammed her head into the desk. 

“Marinette?” Mylene’s soft voice entered the room.

The bluenette sat up, rubbing at the sore spot on her forehead, “Yes?”

“Is it okay if I leave now? I know it’s usually my duty to lock up but we’ve been technically closed for over an hour now and I promised Ivan I’d be making dinner tonight..”

“Oh!” Marinette jumped out of her chair, knocking down an empty cup, a stack of paper, and her pencil holder along with all of its contents to the floor, “God, I’m so so sorry Mylene! Yes, please, hurry home and I’ll make sure I lock everything on my way out. Agh I’m so sorry!”

Mylene gave her a sympathetic smile, “No worries, hun. Don’t stay too late either okay! I’ll see you Monday!”

As soon as the short woman closed the door behind her, Marinette allowed her body to melt to the floor. She stared at the mess of pens and colored pencils for a good minute before actually taking the effort to pick them up. While bunching up the papers, her knee squished against something hard, yet squishy.

“Oops,” she groaned, moving her leg to grab at the dented, soggy paper cup. The little black heart beside her name made her let out another sigh, except this one more dreamy. She craved her cloud macchiato, and the cute man who made them. Even just imagining the sound of his guitar made her relax a little, until she felt her stomach growl with a fierce desperation for _ food. _

Marinette glanced at her phone. 7:30. She looked out the window, the sky dark and the buildings below lit up with night lights and street lamps. His cafe was sure to be closed, but she’d never actually visited it after work because she usually took a different route home.

Still, the possibility that his cafe could still be open was all too tempting, so she packed up her purse, locked all the doors, and made her way down the street. She felt immediate relief when she saw the lights on, and before looking to see if Luka was working, she opened the door and walked in. Right away she felt a wave of comforting calmness rush over her. The strong smell of coffee and pastries filled her nose, while the sound of Luka’s music danced through the tiny cafe. Just as she closed the door behind her, a tall woman walked out. 

She was absolutely stunning, her long black and purple hair hung over her shoulders, her colorful makeup skillfully put on. Her fashion choices were similar to Luka’s, though more girly and maybe a little more goth. The sight of her made Marinette’s stomach drop with a miserable realization. And clearly, the woman was just as unhappy to see her, too.

_ Of course, _ Marinette thought, _ There’s no way he was single. _ She used to work in a customer service job, she knew how it was. Be extra nice to customers, flirt a little, get regulars and good tips. That’s how you did it, if you wanted to do well. And Luka did all those things perfectly. And of course he would be dating a girl as beautiful as the one glaring at Marinette. She was so _ cool, _and Marinette was so.. well she was Marinette. Artsy fartsy, designer Marinette. 

“Shit, I forgot to lock the door. Sorry, the cafe’s closed.” The woman said, voice laced with irritation, “Come back tomorrow.”

The sound of the guitar from the back room suddenly stopped. Marinette felt her face flush with embarrassment, the last thing she needed was Luka to come out now while she was feeling so.. stupid. So stupid. 

“Sorry, I uh, didn’t know,” Marinette muttered, too tired to try and hide her disappointment.

She turned to leave, reaching for the door, when a deep voice made her freeze, “Wait! Marinette!”

“You know her?” The woman crossed her arms, looking at Marinette with a suspicious pout. 

“I’m just a customer, really, s-sorry to barge in here like this! I’ll uh be on my way!” She needed to leave, needed to get out before things got even more awkward but Luka stepped beside Marinette and pushed the door closed. His guitar hung on his back, his hair slightly messier than usual.

“Wait. Do you have anywhere you need to be?”

She swallowed, glancing over at the woman, before replying softly, “No.. I was just going to go home.”

“Don’t go,” he said, voice almost pleading, “Let me make something and then we can go for a walk. Chai tea okay?”

Marinette nodded, and Luka smiled in relief. He ran behind the counter, the sound of dishes ringing loudly in the awkward silence of the cafe as he got started on the drinks. Rather than stand around waiting, Marinette pulled up a chair at one of the two small, round tables and sat down. The other woman stayed where she was, leaning against the counter as she stared Marinette down. She ducked her head, looking down at her shaking hands as she waited for Luka.

“Don’t take too long,” the woman said, hopefully to Luka, “I told Rose we’d be at the club by 9.”

“Yeah I know, Juls” he came around the counter with a cup in each hand, and stopped to kiss the woman’s cheek. Marinette looked away quickly, “I won’t be long. Ready to go Marinette?”

He opened the door, carefully balancing both drinks in one arm while he stood to the side so she could go ahead. As she walked past, he handed her one of the drinks. Marinette said a quiet thanks, and walked out into the cold night. She tightened her scarf, shivering as the wind blew into her face. Luka let the door close behind him, and then walked beside her as she went in the direction of her apartment complex.

“Here’s some cash for the drink,” she said, her voice cold as she handed him a bill, “I hope it’s enough.”

His eyes widened, but he didn’t take it, “Oh! No, this is on me.”

“Just take it,” she said with a firmness that made him frown, “Keep the change.”

Luka accepted it, though his face looked reluctant as he shoved the money into his back pocket, “Hey.. Are you okay? I mean, you don’t seem okay so maybe that’s a stupid question. You just seem tired.” He bit his lip, “Not that you look it! I think you look pretty! I mean-”

His head tipped back as he groaned, “Sorry. I’m not good with words.”

She wanted to smile, wanted to giggle at his dorkiness, but she felt too irritated, too jealous to flirt back with him, “You shouldn’t compliment me so much if you have a girlfriend.” It came out harsher than she wanted, but it was too late.

Confusion and hurt flashed across his face, “What?”

A wave of regret punched her in the stomach, and she felt her eyes begin to water in frustration and guilt, “Ugh. No, I’m sorry. You’re fine, I’m being entitled and its just been a long day and I’m being stupid and jealous and god, I’m so sorry. You’re so nice Luka and I’m being such a jerk. I can walk myself, you don’t have to be here and-”

“Hold on a second,” He placed a hand around her arm and steered her towards an empty bench.

She sniffed back her tears, clutching the warm drink in her hands and absorbing it’s warmth.

“Try it,” he nudged her, pointing his chin at the drink, “You haven't tried it yet. I find Chai tea especially nice this time of year. Plus, I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin spice lattes.”

As she did, he pulled forward his guitar and began to play a slow, pleasant melody. The gentle beat, the delicious spices of the creamy tea, and the warm body beside her were all so comforting. It was all so enjoyable, but she couldn’t have it.

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” he said, the melody changing slightly to something more fast.

“But, the woman back there-”

He laughed before she could finish, “That was Juleka, my little sister. We’re in a band together, with a couple others. I’m sorry, I should have introduced you back there but you looked so upset and I just wanted to get you out. I’m sorry if she came off rude, she acts kind of rough with strangers.”

“Oh.”

Marinette felt so stupid. She’d jumped to conclusions and overreacted and she felt like a thirteen year old again with how dumb she was being. She started to giggle, and it spread into a louder, more uncontainable laugh as she let her head fall back against the bench. Luka grinned, his cheeks turning a darker shade of pink as his strumming slowed down. The tune sounded almost shy, romantic, and Marinette snuggled into Luka’s side.

“I think I like you, L-Luka..” she admitted, hiding her face behind her drink.

The music stopped, and he stood up. She peeked at him behind her cup, and found him smiling down at her. The blush on his cheeks, the gentle kindness behind his eyes, it all brought a sweet smile to her own lips. He offered her his hand and she took it.

“I like you too, Ma-Ma-Ma-Marinette,” he said, brushing his thumb over hers as he bent his face down to hers. 

His lips tasted like chai tea. 

  
  


A little later, back in the warmth of her apartment, she found in her pocket the cash she had given Luka, as well as a piece of paper with a phone number written on it.

At the end, was a little black heart. 


End file.
